The success of Brazil’s permanent visa-waiver which was in place during the Olympics and Paralympics for citizens of several countries including Canada and the United States, has prompted government officials to consider its extension.

“In the period of the [Olympic/Paralympic] Games, 75 percent of the tourists of the four nationalities (Japan, Canada, Australia and the United States) benefited from the exemption measure to enter Brazil. These foreigners spent US$142 million in the country,” said Tourism Minister Marx Beltrão on Saturday in João Pessoa, Paraiba.

The plan being proposed would be for a year, and potentially open to more countries than the waiver offered during the Games.

“The extension could also include other countries that were not granted the waivers during the Games, such as China,” Beltrão said adding that ‘the plan calls for a waiver to be first given for a twelve-month period, after which the government could better evaluate the results from the measure.’

He added that, “We must take advantage of the visibility of these major events to reduce bureaucracy for those who want to come (to the country) and expand to the world our (tourism) destinations.”